Quote:
Originally Posted by icsys
After watching that video, I noted several times the phrase 'webwise never knows where you have been'. Then, further on the video goes on to say 'user 123 has been to travel sites X or Y'. But I thought that 'webwise never knows where you have been'?. How then do you know I have been to website X or Y?
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Phorm claim (in advertiser oriented promotions) that they know what you were doing 3 days ago (looking at ads for a certain Canon camera model)
---------- Post added at 15:04 ---------- Previous post was at 15:00 ----------
Reply from Don Foster MP (signatory to Early Day Motion in Commons)
I've had a reply from my MP Annette Brook (LD) one of the EDM signatories, with Don Foster's response to my concerns (Don Foster MP is the intiator of the EDM). It does not make for happy reading.
He has met Phorm, and appears to have been given their standard talk, and believed it.
the points where he appears to have been effectively misled are:
1 - non https email.
"There is no suggestion that Phorm would be able to scan individual emails for content because the system does not monitor `https' URLs which are used for secure access websites". This is sufficient for Don Foster to then go on and say "
Ths should mean that it is unable to collect any personally idenfiable data". Again - serious lack of understanding of the system evident here.
This ignores the issue of the many non-https mail sites, security issues relating to the cookies, data handling by BT Webwise sites, and the issue of interception of Phorm UID by 3rd party websites.
2 - He appears not to be familiar with Dr Clayton's analysis as he says,
"I am confident that currently and in the future, Phorm poses no risk to individuals' privacy and security".
3 - He makes absolutely no reference to webmasters intellectual property rights and the lack of webmaster explicit informed consent.
He has concerns about the previous tests and seems to confine his concerrn to the potential illegality of BT's 2006 and 2007 trials.
He states that - "
the tests put the trust between BT and their customers at risk". You bet it does.
He states that he has met with BT and urged them to
consult their customers before any further tests take place and to use an opt-in system. Presumably the closed Q&A thread on the BT beta forums represents this consultation - unfortunately the answers stopped coming as soon as the questions got difficult. He been "
assured that this will be the case (opt-in) for any future tests or use of the service". Good, but even the ICO was saying that - just that BT have never confirmed up to now that they would abide by that. So - some progress.
He states that "
there is no way of knowing whose data traffic was processed in these trials" (2006/2007). That will be news to those who already KNOW that they were included. He urges such people to "
contact BT to discuss their experience." I would recommend those people who have evidence of being affected by the BT secret trials to contact Don Foster MP and relate what responses BT have given them, and what response they have had from the ICO. Don Foster has made his feelings (on the secret trials) "very clear to BT and hope that they will offer a full apology to all customers affected."
He has been informed by the ICO that "
the ICO has ruled that the tests were technically legal". So presumably he does not agree with Nicholas Bohm of FIPR.
With regard to the website blacklist - he is informed by Phorm that "
they have over 1000 known webmail websites on their blacklist." So that leaves one heck of a lot of the internet still to give or withold their explicit informed consent. No mention of all the other websites whose intellectual property is going to be copied, exploited and profiled. He has said he believes that "f
or the sake of transparency and accountability, Phorm should make public this blacklist. They have so far refused to do so, but I shall continue to pressure them on this."
He has no problems with the company Phorm, or what they do but does have problems with the way the product has been tested. He has had assurances from BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk that the system will be opt-IN across the board, along with demonstrations to support that. Great - all they need to do now is communicate with their customers?
He concludes:
"
I am convinced the technology is safe to use, and believe that there are sufficient systems in place to notify customers of Phorm and for customers to choose not to use this system."
I'm very dis-satisfied with that reply but note:
BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk have committed to opt-in. Presumably BT can now confirm that to their customers? US?
Hope this sparks some further debate.